Butte County high school teacher accused of sexual relations with students

A female teacher in Butte County was arrested Friday, accused of engaging in sexual relations with male students.

The Butte County Sheriff’s Office reported that Superintendent Corey Willenberg of the Oroville Union High School District met Friday with sheriff’s investigators to report possible inappropriate relationships between a high school teacher and students. The information came to light when an anonymous caller left a message at Las Plumas High School in Oroville regarding students having inappropriate relationships with a physical education teacher, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

Investigators went to the high school, where they found a male student who allegedly had a sexual relationship with a female teacher, Lindsay Himmelspach, 33. Investigators also learned that Himmelspach allegedly had a relationship with a male student at Prospect High School in Oroville.

The alleged sexual relationships were brief in nature and occurred during the recent summer break, sheriff’s officials said. They reportedly included the sharing of nude photographs electronically between Himmelspach and the two victims.

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Himmelspach has been teaching about 10 years and has taught at Las Plumas and Prospect high schools, sheriff’s officials said. She was arrested at Las Plumas High School and booked into Butte County Jail on suspicion of two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, two counts of communicating with a minor for purposes of committing sexual acts, and two counts of communicating with a minor to commit a lewd or lascivious act. Bail was set at $90,000.

A message from the district superintendent’s office was posted Friday on the high schools’ websites reporting the arrest, and referring parents and students to the Sheriff’s Office news release for more information.

The school district placed Himmelspach on paid administrative leave, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call Detective Jason Miller at 530-538-7671.